When New and Old Roommates Collide
by Irony'sFriend
Summary: Momo manages to talk a hesitant Nitori into sneaking out with him in an attempt to get to know each other. However, when Rin finds out, he is far from pleased about the turn of events and follows them.


**a/n: **Even though I'm a huge Rintori shipper, I kind of started to like Momotori after reading my friend's roleplays. This fic was basically my way of trying to figure out who I ship. It didn't work. I still like Rintori most, but a part of me yearns for Momotori... sigh.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Free!_

* * *

When New and Old Roommates Collide

The steady _dum, dum, dum_ of a baseball hitting the ceiling was the background soundtrack to Ai's studying that evening. While he tried to ignore the irritating noise and focus on the formulas and angle measures of second-year trigonometry, Ai noticed his eyebrow started to twitch in time with the baseball. He really missed sharing a dorm room with Rin-senpai.

Momo wasn't terrible. Loud and boisterous, he was nothing like Rin, but he did seem… enthusiastic… which could be a good quality. Ai may have had misgivings, but he hoped to make this new living arrangement work… Though he was definitely starting to have his doubts.

Last year, when he and Rin shared this room, they would come in after swim practice, freshly-showered, and begin on their homework together. Each at his own respective desk, they unpacked their many textbooks and note sheets and dived into the much harder to understand world of academics rather than the comparatively easy swimming pool.

At least, that was how Ai saw it, but if he was truthful, Rin excelled at both. The schoolwork came almost as easily to him as swimming strokes, and Ai often had to ask for help on what Rin found simple. Still, the study time became almost enjoyable when they worked on it together.

When he and Momo arrived at their shared room, fresh from the showers at the gym, Momo collapsed on his bed and tore into his stash of potato chips. Ai tried not to pay too much attention as he dragged his things out from his school bag, but Momo's incessant chatter made it difficult to concentrate. Finally, Ai snapped that he needed silence to study, and didn't Momo have homework, too?

Momo reluctantly slinked to his own desk and made a few half-hearted attempts at a reading assignment. However, Ai wasn't shocked when the younger kid hopped back onto his bunk, but he at least tried to remain quieter for Ai's sake.

Mild surprise made Ai's eyes widen, for it felt strange to ask something of someone and the other to actually respect his request. He still found it hard to wrap his mind around being someone else's senpai, but the title did have its perks. He only hoped he could be as admirable as Rin-senpai, how he was toward the end of the year, not so much at the beginning.

Keeping this in mind, Ai tried not to allow his irritation to get the better of him at the relentless sound of the baseball hitting in the ceiling. Momo was only keeping himself occupied in a way that required minimal noise, and Ai should be thankful for the gesture. As long as Momo didn't start the constant chatter again, he should be able to get through his homework in no time…

"Nitori-senpai, I'm bored," Momo whined. The _dum, dum, dum_ of the baseball stopped.

"Why don't you read a book or listen to music or something?" Ai suggested. That's what Rin often did in his free time.

"I'm not going to read a book that's not for school!" Momo exclaimed, clearly disgusted by the prospect. "Sometimes I don't read them even if they are for school. Besides, I haven't been out in ages. Why don't we go hit the town together, eh? Pick up some chicks?"

Cold sweat trickled down Ai's spine, and the back of his neck heated up with a blush. The _last thing_ he wanted to do was 'pick up chicks' with Momo. The idea alone was preposterous! "It's a school night, and curfew is in an hour," Ai pointed out logically, careful to keep his tone controlled.

"So what?" Momo retorted. Ai could hear the springs creaking in the top bunk's bed, and though he kept his eyes trained on his trigonometry, Ai just knew Momo currently leaned over the railing in some desperate attempt to make his words reach more directly to his senpai. "We haven't done anything together besides swimming stuff, and we should get to know each other if we're going to be roommates."

"We'll get to know each other _by_ being roommates," Ai replied. He involuntarily winced at his own words. Though it was a year ago, Ai clearly remembered suggesting to Rin to go eat something 'to get to know each other' since they had just been assigned the same room, and Rin had replied with the very response Ai had just uttered. He remembered how crushed he felt as a first year, being rejected so coldly by his senpai.

But Momo was a lot different than him. Surely, he wouldn't be that upset just because Ai didn't want to sneak out with him right before curfew.

"Oh, come on, don't be cruel! It could be fun you know…" Momo muttered the last sentence, and Ai could practically hear the pout in his voice.

This wasn't good… His resolve was wavering…

Ai bit his lip at his trigonometry homework, and the fact that he only had a few problems left before being done for the night was not helping at all. Memories of finally spending time together with Rin after that relay with Iwatobi sent waves of nostalgia through his heart, and though he didn't want Momo to replace Rin in any way, he did want to have a good relationship with the orange-haired boy.

Perhaps this would prove to be the best way to do that… Even if Momo's idea of fun frankly gave Ai nausea.

"It's an hour before curfew… If we end up being late, we can't get caught when we sneak in, or we'll get detention," Ai warned.

The bedsprings screamed in protest as Momo no doubt shot straight up. "Wait, you'll go with me?" he questioned, and Ai somehow knew his golden eyes were sparkling.

Ai stifled a groan and finally turned in his chair to face the other boy. Just as he predicted, his eyes shined with the light of the stars, and his mouth hung wide open. "Just this once, and it's only because we should get to know each other if we're going to be roommates," Ai clarified.

"Yahoo!" Momo exclaimed, jumping wildly in place. Ai worried he'd hit his head on the ceiling and knock himself out if he wasn't careful. Then again, if that happened, Ai wouldn't have to go out…

However, Momo managed to climb down from his bunk and throw on some clothes without causing himself mortal injury, so Ai supposed he needed to accept his fate. Leaving his school stuff where it was, Ai changed into khaki shorts and a blue button-down shirt with a collar. The nights could be cold depending on the weather, so he grabbed a silver sweater along with his wallet just in case.

"Let's go!" Momo cheered, and he grabbed Ai's wrist and pulled him out of their dorm room before the older and tragically shorter one could manage a squeak of protest. As Ai knew nothing about sneaking out or hitting the town or picking up chicks, however, he let Momo lead the way, and soon they were running down the halls.

Ai already regretted his decision.

…

Sosuke returned from the vending machine just in time to see Momo's sports sneakers and Ai's dorky sandals disappear around the corner. Raising a single eyebrow, he entered his own dorm room to find Rin lounging on his bunk, a book about building up a team in his hand.

"What's the curfew at this school again?" Sosuke inquired casually. He unwrapped his protein bar and took a big first bite.

Rin glanced over the book and shot him a questioning glance. "Eleven on weekdays, midnight on weekends. Why?" he said. "You planning a date or something?"

"No," Sosuke replied. He took another bite and swallowed. "But your little protégées might be."

Fed up with Sosuke's need to beat around the bush, Rin sat up and pushed his book aside. "What are you talking about, man? Spit it out," he urged.

"I just saw Mikoshiba and that Nitori kid heading for the exit," Sosuke finally supplied. He finished off the rest of his protein bar and dropped the wrapper in the trash can.

"What?" Rin snapped. He jumped to his feet, his eyebrows twitching in clear annoyance. "Are those two idiots? Curfew is in less than an hour, and if they get caught, it's going to look bad on the swim team. And what the hell do they think they're doing going out late when they have swim practice tomorrow?"

Sosuke shrugged and started to climb up the ladder to his own bunk, grabbing his iPod from his desk on the way. "Who knows? They're young. Don't act like you haven't done crap like that in your time," Sosuke teased.

"Yeah, but Ai should know better than this! That little punk must have coerced him into it…"

Sosuke rolled his eyes and subtly put his earphones in. He chose a rock playlist and turned up the volume until he could no longer hear Rin's rants but only watch the growing anger on his face and the way he jerked his arms in the air occasionally. Sosuke observed all this with half-open eyes, only mildly interested, until suddenly, Rin tore out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

His eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Sosuke took one earphone out and sat up as if he expected Rin to return any minute, but the door remained closed. Sosuke laid back in his bed and rolled his eyes. Of course, Rin would feel the need to go after the two idiots. Sosuke put his earphone back and tried to focus on the swells of the base guitar and drums.

They just better get back before curfew.

…

Momo knew just the place to go for an optimal ratio of cute girls, and so he practically dragged Nitori-senpai to a college hangout called Platypus Cove. The bouncer was friends with his brother, so Momo got in all the time as long as he promised not to drink. Momo didn't mind the stipulation so much since he found it hard enough to talk to girls while sober.

Getting Nitori past the bouncer wasn't a problem either. Even with the second-year practically cowering behind Momo in the face of flashing neon lights and loud party music, Momo just had to stage-whisper, "This guy needs a night out if you know what I mean. His virginity is totally getting in the way of his school life."

The bouncer laughed, Nitori-senpai blushed, and just like that, they were inside the club.

The Cove wasn't actually very big, but when the only lighting was flashing strobes from the corners and when people danced in every available space, the college haven seemed wild and endless. Momo felt himself getting high off the energy and beat of the music, and he practically trembled with excitement. He let go of Nitori's wrist and allowed himself to get lost in the crowd, particularly the area where girls in very short shorts danced with their hips.

About seven rejections later, Momo realized he had no idea where Nitori was. When he went out with his other friends, they usually all tried to talk up the female population and then together nursed their pride with sodas and an occasionally smothered alcoholic beverage. He assumed Nitori would do the same… but in hindsight, that was a stupid idea.

Concerned and a little guilty, Momo squeezed between a plethora of gyrating bodies in desperate search of the grey-haired boy. Just when Momo was seriously considering calling the police to report a missing person, he found his roommate at a snack bar Momo had not known was even in the club.

Of course, there was a regular alcoholic bar against one wall of the club, but Nitori's location was a lonely corner with a few mostly empty tables next to a vending machine that likely sold the only non-alcoholic drinks in the place. Nitori himself nursed a strawberry soda with his back facing the wall, so he could watch the club's activities from a distance though he mostly kept his eyes trained to his phone, a dim blue glow lighting his face.

Momo slid into a chair next to him, and Nitori jumped and nearly spilled his entire drink.

"Yo, why aren't you dancing or something?" Momo asked.

Nitori's uncomfortable expression twisted into a painful attempt at a half-smile. "This isn't really my idea of fun," he admitted.

"Whaa?" Momo exclaimed. "Come on! There's tons of stuff to do! You can pick up chicks, dance with strangers, and hey! I bet you could sneak a mixed drink or something from the bar if you play your cards right." Momo wiggled his eyebrows, but Nitori somehow didn't cave in to the temptation.

"No, thanks," he dismissed dryly.

Momo pouted. "If you didn't like this stuff, why did you come?"

"I told you I didn't want to go, but you wanted to get to know each other," Nitori reminded him.

"I thought you just didn't want to get into trouble because of the whole curfew thing… I kind of feel bad now…" Momo rubbed the back of his neck, an embarrassed smile showing his remorse. "Hey, if you really hate it here, why don't we get pizza instead? It's kind of hard to hear in this place anyway, so not the best place to get to know people."

As they had been shouting their entire conversation to be heard over the earthquake beats of the music, Momo wasn't surprised when Nitori nodded eagerly and nearly stumbled over the chair in his haste to get up and leave. He slipped his phone into his pocket, threw away his now empty can of soda, and followed Momo out of the club. Momo shook his head and made sure to keep Nitori-senpai in his sight this time.

Weird kid. Who cleaned up after themselves in a club?

…

While Ai associated the college club with what he assumed hell would be like – suffocating heat, unbearable noise, and lack of proper food – the after part wasn't so bad. Momo chattered pleasantly as they walked in the cool night hair to a nearby pizza joint for college students who could not afford a night of fun with tests coming up. After music that burst his eardrums and shouted pickup lines from desperate guys, Momo's voice wasn't so bad.

Ai even contributed to the conversation when he could, and by the time they made it to the pizza place, Ai didn't completely regret going out with Momo.

They slid into a booth by the window, and when the waiter took their orders, Ai chose plain cheese pizza, and Momo enthusiastically pointed to a sausage and pineapple combo. Once they were left alone, Ai picked at a straw wrapper, an awkward silence settling between them… briefly.

"So if this is get to know each other, we have to talk about ourselves!" Momo declared. He put his hands on the table to signify the beginning of what would apparently be a reciting of facts and leaned forward in anticipation.

A nervous sweat drop rolled down Ai's temple as he held up his hands nervously. "Uhh… I was there when you met Kou-chan, so I know your, uh, qualities…"

"No, no, no!" Momo protested. "You know stuff about me already, but I hardly know anything about you. This is your turn!"

Ai laughed anxiously, but with Momo's golden eyes pinning him in place, he didn't see a way out of this. Besides, he had agreed to this whole escapade in order to build a better relationship with his roommate… "Well, I've been swimming since I was really little-"

"Hold on," Momo interrupted. "I get that stuff. You like swimming; you're trying to work on the breaststroke, but you mostly do freestyle. I know that. I mean, tell me about _you_."

"Umm… I like dogs?" Ai attempted.

Momo nodded slowly, mulling over the tidbit in his mind. "Okay, yeah, that's a good start. Now what else?"

"I'm currently writing a journal on the morning glory flower," Ai ventured again. He wasn't used to so much attention from another person, and while the other boy tired him out, it was… kind of nice… to be asked about and taken places. To have someone want to spend time with him.

Eventually, Momo's urging eased him into a semi-comfortable state, and the conversation became less one-sided. The first-year really wasn't so bad after all, Ai decided. Even when their pizza slices arrived, they barely took the time to chew and swallow with the 'getting to know each other' still taking place.

Everything was going well…

Until a familiar angry voice cut him off mid-sentence.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"

…

When Rin first recruited Momo for the team, he immediately called Captain Mikoshiba – or ex-captain now – and asked him about his little brother. Mikoshiba had proclaimed rather enthusiastically that Momo would make a great addition to the team… as long as someone kept an eye out for him. At that little footnote, Mikoshiba warned Rin about a certain club with a certain bouncer that Mikoshiba regretted introducing Momo to.

This in mind, Rin went to talk to said bouncer, and once a bit of money was exchanged, Rin learned that Momo and a friend did go in Platypus Cove, but after barely twenty minutes, they left. Rin likely just missed them, and he regretted going to the dorm counselor to let him know that a 'family emergency' had taken place, and Rin wouldn't be back before curfew.

After a little more money changed hands, Rin knew which direction the two walked toward, and he immediately set out on the same path. He kept his sharp eyes aware of all his surroundings for any sign of his two teammates.

Rin did want Ai and Momo to get along… but not like this. If they wanted to swim on the relay, they needed to be at their peak of physical performance. Not to mention, with Ai sneaking out to swim even after hours, he didn't want the second-year to tire himself out in some vain attempt to become closer with Momo.

And Momo… He hoped the two would be good for each other as roommates, but if Momo was going to wrap Ai up in his harebrained schemes, then Rin would have to have a talk with the dorm counselor about room assignments.

Finally, Rin caught a glimpse of familiar silver hair through a window, and when he slowed down, he recognized the joint as a decent pizza place. Ai and Momo were laughing and talking about something, and Rin wondered what Momo could have said to get the second-year to sneak out, go to a club, and then eat pizza on a school night. His anger renewed, he stormed into the restaurant. He didn't spare any of the workers a second glance before marching up to the booth where the Ai and Momo sat.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"

Predictably, Ai cowered before Rin's angry and stance and stormy expression. The shorter boy dropped his fork with a clatter on the plate, and he brought his hands together to twist nervously in his lap.

Momo, however, barely reacted. "Eating pizza," he answered through a mouthful. "Want a piece? You have to order your own though 'cause I'm not giving you any of mine."

Rin decided he would just murder Momo and save himself the trouble of formally requesting Ai a roommate transfer.

"Rin-senpai, what are you doing here?" Ai asked. His wide eyes stared up at him, but his expression looked familiar. The same careful pleasantness he adapted when Rin would get angry over his lacking times last year.

"What am _I _doing here?" Rin repeated. "What are you two doing here? We have swim practice tomorrow, and you're going to some club? And then pizza? Curfew is in fifteen minutes!"

Ai shrunk into himself with every one of Rin's words, and shame colored the boy's cheeks. He offered no defense to his senpai.

"So what? Haven't you ever snuck in before?" Momo dismissed with a wave of his hand. He took another careless bite of his pizza, pineapple and sausage sliding onto his plate.

Rin glared at the red-haired boy, and he felt familiar rage spreading throughout his bloodstream. "You keep an attitude like that, and you won't last long on the swim team," he warned sharply. However, as furious as Rin was with Momo, it was the blue-eyed boy that confused him most with this sort of behavior. He turned his piercing gaze to Ai.

"Look, I expected something like this from him, but you, Ai? I thought you had more common sense than this. I thought you wanted to work hard and specialize in two strokes and swim in the relay. You can't do any of that if you're sneaking out to go to some club," Rin growled.

Tears welled up in Ai's eyes, and his small body trembled slightly with the hurt and shame. The slightest bit of guilt started to prick at Rin's heart at the sight of the broken-hearted boy, but he had to learn. If this was the best way to fix Ai's mistakes, then there was no getting around it. Rin was the captain now, and it was his job to keep his team under control.

"Hey, don't make him cry!" Momo exclaimed. He shot out of the booth and faced Rin though the first-year fell a few inches short. "He didn't do anything!"

"He sneaked out and jeopardized the team's reputation, not to mention his spot on the team. As captain, it's my job to handle discipline, and you won't talk back to me if you know what's good for you," Rin snapped.

"I was the one who talked Nitori-senpai into coming out with me, so if you want to take your anger out on someone, blame me! He just came to make me happy," Momo defended, his golden eyes alit with passion and determination.

Rin's eyes widened at Momo's show of protection for his roommate. Perhaps he had misjudged the younger Mikoshiba? Glancing at how Ai rubbed at his eyes, lonely and forlorn in his booth, Rin did feel guilty for jumping on him. He had touched Ai in all his sensitive places… A captain was supposed to be as encouraging as well as firm…

"I'm sorry, Rin-senpai. I promise this won't ever happen again, and I'll work extra hard at practice," Ai vowed. Still, he didn't meet Rin's eyes, and the guilt gnawed at his heart.

"It's not your fault, Nitori-senpai. I talked you into it," Momo reminded him.

Ai shook his head. "No, I'm the oldest, so I should take responsibility," he insisted. "I should have thought about swim practice and how this would look on the team."

Rin sighed, his anger petering out the longer he stared at the second-year. Finally, he slid into the booth next to Ai. "Sorry I lost my temper," he murmured.

The smaller boy jumped at Rin's sudden proximity, but he finally met his senpai's eyes and offered a weak smile. "It's okay," he assured him. "I'm sorry about all this. I really will work harder tomorrow and every day after."

"I know you will," Rin said. And he did. If there was one thing he could count on, it was Ai giving his swimming his all.

Momo plopped back down on his own side of the booth. "Well, I'm glad we got all that figured out!" he enthused. Then he tore into his pizza, and Rin and Ai exchanged exasperated looks, their synchronization coming back as if nothing had happened between them.

"Oi, don't think you're getting away with this so easily. You're doing extra laps tomorrow," Rin warned.

"Hey, why just me?" Momo whined.

"You did say I could blame you," Rin reminded him, a cheeky grin dominating his expression. He swung a friendly arm around Ai's shoulders as if to further show his sudden compliance with Momo's request.

Momo complained and ate his sorrows in pizza. Ai eventually relaxed under Rin's touch, and Rin eventually felt a little better… even if his old roommate was getting along better with his new roommate than he had expected.

None of them knew it, but the waiter hung up the phone he had initially picked up to call the police when it looked like his restaurant was about to be torn apart by some sort of jealous love triangle fight. The underpaid server was just thankful the three somehow worked things out before he had to call the authorities. He supposed polyamorous relationships could work for some.

…

Sosuke woke up from his light doze as soon as the door to his room opened and closed. Pulling his earphones out, he sat up in his bunk and watched as Rin pulled off his jacket.

"You find the brats?" he greeted.

Rin turned to meet his new roommate's gaze and rolled his eyes. "Yeah," he answered simply.

Sosuke glanced at the time on his iPod before pointing out, "It's past curfew."

"I told the dorm counselor I had a family emergency, so when I checked back in, Momo and Ai sneaked in through the maintenance entrance while the counselor was distracted. The swim team suffers no scandals," Rin sighed. "Mikoshiba's going to swim laps until he passes out tomorrow though."

Sosuke chuckled low in his throat. "And not the Nitori kid?"

Rin shrugged. "Mikoshiba talked him into it. He's more the victim in the situation."

Sosuke laid back down in his bed, shaking his head at the ceiling as he listened to Rin climb into his own bed below. "You're just protective of that little second-year," he accused.

Rin snorted, but he didn't deny it.


End file.
